Air register



Nov. 14, 1944; J. 'r. VOORHEIS 2,

AIR REGISTER Filed April 2, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENITOR. JOSEPH 71' VooeHE/s ATTORNEYS.

IIIJY Z Nov. 14, 1944. J. 'r. VOORHEIS 2,362,500

AIR REGISTER Filed April 2, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet- 2 INVENTOR. fosz 'h' TVaoeHEla A T rog/vgnst Patented Nov. 14, 1944 AIR REGISTER Joseph T. Voorheis, Oakland, Calif., assignor to Coen Company, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of California Application April 2, 1941, Serial No. 386,480

7 Claims. (Cl. 1581.5)

This invention relates to an air register for furnace fronts, and especially to a register whereby the air which is admitted to support combustion -may be regulated both as to volume and direction.

The object of the present invention is generally to improve and simplify the construction and operation of registers of the character described; to provide a register which may be readily attached to a furnace front and which will also function as a support for a fuel delivery burner; to provide means for controlling both the volume of air. admitted and the direction of flow thereof, with relation to the fuel discharging from the burner; to provide a main set of vanes for directing the incoming air tangentially with relation to the axis of the register and burner, so that a swirling or spinning action will be transmitted to the air when entering the furnace; to provide a secondary set of vanes which function as deflectors for the main set of vanes, so as to control or vary the spinning motion of the air to make it possible to obtain the best results with diiferentfuels and draft conditions; and further, to provide means for independently adjusting each set of vanes to vary both spinning and axial or longitudinal flow of air through the register and into the furnace.

The invention is shown byway of illustration in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 'is a vertical central longitudinal section of theair register, showing it secured to a furnace front;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the register, said view being partially broken away and partially insection, said view showing the air controlling vanes in closed'position;

,bFig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the vanes in partially open position: I

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross section taken on line IV--IV of Fig. 2; l

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross section taken on line V-V of Fig. 2; and

Fig, 6 is a perspective View of the quadrant used in connection with the lever indicated at 30.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, A indicates the front of a furnace, said furnace being covered with a plate A in which is formed a circular opening 2. The furnace is lined with a refractory material in the usual manner, as indicated at 3, and a flaring opening 4 is formed in said material in alignment with the opening 2. Secured to the front plate A of the furnace by bolts or similar means 5 is a ring-shaped plate B which will hereinafter be referred to as the inner frame. Secured to said plate are a plurality of bolts 6; these-are screwed into the inner frame plate B as shown at 1, or otherwise secured, and they are shouldered at opposite ends, as indicated at 8 and 9, to permit the bolts to serve as spacers and as a support for an outer frame plate generally indicated at C. Secured to this plate is an outer face plate II, and hinged or bolted thereto, as indicated at H, is a door I3 in which is formed a central hub H which serves as a, support for an oil burner guide pipe IS, on the inner end of which is mounted a shield l6 of any suitable type; also formed in the door are one or more peep or torch holes I! with the usual closures l8.

Pivotally disposed between the inner and outer frame plates B and C are a plurality of pairs of shafts generally indicated at 20 and 2|. Each of the shafts 20 carries a main vane 22, while each of the shafts 2| carries a secondary vane 23. The vanes may be secured to the respective shafts in any suitable manner, for instance by slitting the shafts longitudinally as indicated at 24 in Fig. l, or by welding or otherwise. The shafts are rotatable in the respective frame plates, and each of the shafts 20 and 2| carries an outwardly extending crank arm 20a and He.

' Supported by the bolts 6 are a pair of rings generally indicated at 25 and 26. These rings are tubular, and holes are formed in their inner peripheral surfaces to permit the outer ends of the several crank arms 20a and 2 la to extend into the respective rings, said holes being indicated at 21 (see Figs. 2 and 3). The crank arms 20a are secured at one end of the shafts 20 as shown in Fig. l, and enter the ring 26. The crank arms 2 la are disposed at the opposite ends of the shafts 2|, and these enter the ring 25. The rings 25 and 26 while supported by the rods 6 are circumferentially movable or rotatable thereon, thus if the rings are rotated in the direction of arrow a (see Fig. 2) the crank arms 20a and 2 la will swing in the same direction, and as the shafts 20 and 2| are rotatably mounted in the inner and outer 'frames B and C, the vanes 22 and 23 will swing inwardly and may assume the position shown in Fig. 3. I Conversely, if the rings are rotated in the opposite direction the vanes will be moved to the closed position shown in Fig. 2.

Manually controlled means are. shown in this instance for imparting circumferential movement to both rings in unison and independently of each other. By referring to Figs. 2 and 4 it will be noted that one of the shafts 23 which carry the vanes 22 is extended through the outer face plate H. This extended shaft is shown at 201) in Fig. 4. 0n the outer end thereof is secured indicate the position of the vanes 22 when they are opened.

One of the shafts 2| is also extended through the face plate H (see Fig. 5), and this shaft is 7 indicated at 2| b. A crankarm'40 is-secured on the outer end thereof, and a head 4| is formed at the outer end of the crank arm. A pawl 42 extends through the head and has a handle 43" vanes 23 are swung toward the formed on its outer end, the pawl being normally maintained in projected position by a spring 44 mounted within the head. The pawl engages a rack bar 45 and this forms a part of a segmental or arcu-ate plate 45 which is graduated in the same manner as the plate previously described. The shaft 2117 has a crank arm 5| secured thereon which extends into the ring 25.

Inactual operation the position of the vanes 22 and 23 is controlled by the crank arms and 48, and the actual position: they assume is indicated on the graduated scales shown at 3.1- and 46'. If the vanes assume the closed position shown inFig. 2 they are opened by first releasing the clampingscrew 34 by means of the turnpiece arm 33 is then free to swing in the direction of arrow 1) (see Fig. 2 and when it is swung in that direction it will rotate the shaft 2131) to which it is secured. The crank arm 5|] on this shaft will thus obviously impart circumferential movement to the ring 26, and as the crank arms 20a on the several shafts 20 enter the ring/they will swing and so will the shafts 20, and the vanes 22' will move inwardly or towards the position shown in Fig. 3. As they move inwardly they engage the vanes 23, and the vanes 23. must thus move in unison with them. The several shafts 2| the, crank arms. 2l-a are thus swung, and this movement is imparted to the ring 25, and from the ring 25 motion is transmitted through the crank arm 5t to the shaft Zlb; the crank arm 4'3, the ratchet teeth and. the, pawl 42; cooperating therewith being so arranged that the crank arm. lfimay swing. in the direction of arrow 0 when the vanes 22 and 23- are being-opened by the crank arm 30.. 'When the vanes 22 have reached the position which the operator" thinks most desirable, the turnpiece 35. may be. grasped to rotate the clamping screw 34,, and as thisengages the quadrant 33 the arm 3tswill be locked in. this position, and so. will the vanes: 22.

If the vanes should be left in this open position the air would enter the chamber D formedwithin the, register on a tangent. A swirling or: spinning motion would thusv be impartedtothe air, and it would enter the throat or the aligned openings 2 and 4 of the furnace in a swirling condition.- This might be desirable under'certain conditions or with. certain types of fuel; again it might be desirable to lessen the swirling or spinning action of the air, and this can be accomplished by grasping the handle 43 and swinging it farther in the direction of arrow 0. When this is done the vanes 23 will move towards the free ends of the vanes 22, and the tangential entrance of the air swinging the vanes 23 to the dotted line position shown at 23a in Fig. 3, that is, into contact with the free ends of the vanes 22, the entering air would flow in a longitudinal direction, as it could not pass by the vanes 23, or in otherwords between the vanes 22 and 23, but it would have to flow endwise through the openings indicated at formed at. the inner ends of the vanes 22.

Thus the flow of the entering air may be changed from tangential to substantially longitudinal, or

a combination of longitudinal and tangential flow 'may be obtained. In other words, the spinning or swirling movement of the air will be at a maximum when the vanes 22 and 23 are open, but in contact with each other, and the spinning or swirling action becomes gradually reduced as the outer free ends of thevanes 22.

The vanes 22 when closed form a substantially cylindrical or circumferential housing between the inner and the outer frame plates 13 and C, and in this position they stop all entrance of ain'bu-t by slightly opening them air may enter tangentially, and it may enter partially on a tangent and partially longitudinally by a proper adjustment of the'va-nes 23'. The vanes 22 can be opened and closed by means of the lever 30. The vanes 22 and 23' can be opened in unison by the lever 30; but the vanes 23 may be farther opened by the lever 40, and they can be closed only by pulling outwardly on the handle 43 of said lever, so as to release the pawl with relation to the ratchet teeth 45. Only in that manner can the lever-'Ml-be swung in a direction reverse to that indicated by the arrow 0, or in other words to closethe yanes 23.. i

The burner guide pipe indicated at l5 may act as a guide and support for any suitable type of burnen'whetherfuel' oil, gas or the like is employed, and the shield may obviously be of any form desired. The air admitted by thev opening of the vanes 22 and 23 may enter under atmospheric pressure but obviously a forced draft may be employed by using a. blower and enclosing the register by a. housing, not here shown. Whiie these and other features ofv my invention have been moreorless specifically described, I wish it understoodv that. changes may be resorted to withinthe scope of the appended claims, and that the materials and finish of the various parts may be such. as the experience of the manufacturergor yaryingconditions of use may demandvHavingthus described ,myinvention. what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a furnace having an opening formed therein for the introduction of. a combustible fuel iii) will become more and more radial; in fact, by 15 and air to support combustion of said fuel, an inner ring shaped frame secured to the front of therfurnaee and surrounding the opening formed therein, an outer ring shaped framesecured to the first named frame and spacedtherefrom a.burner pipe securedin the outer frame and adapted to support a burner whereby fuel: is supplied to the furnace, a plurality'of pairs of vvanespivortally supported between the inner and outer frames; and means. for adjusting. said vanes, to direct incomin airboth tangentially and longitudinally andto control the? tangential 'flow whereby spin.- n-ingmovemen-tiof the air as it. enters the furnace may .be variedfrom' a predetermined. maximum to a substantiallylongitudinal flow;

, 2. In, a furnacev having an opening farmed. therein flor the introduction. of a combustible fuel.

and air to support combustion ofwsaid fuel, an:

inner ring shaped frame secured to the front of therein, an outer ring shaped frame secured to the furnace and surrounding the opening formed the first named frame and spaced therefrom, a burner pipe secured in the outer frame and adapted to support a burner whereby fuel is supplied to the furnace, a plurality of pairs of vanes pivotally supported between the inner and outer frames, and means for adjusting said vanes to direct air entering between the vanes both tangentially and longitudinally to cause both a longitudinal and a spinning movement of the air as it enters the furnace, said vanes varying the spinning movement and also the volume of air admitted.

3. In a furnace having an opening formed therein for the introduction of a combustible fuel and air to support combustion of said fuel, an inner ring shaped frame secured to the front of the furnace and surrounding the opening formed therein, an outer ring shaped frame secured to the first named frame and spaced therey from, a burner pipe secured in the outer frame and adapted to support a burner whereby fuel is supplied to the furnace, a plurality of shafts pivotally disposed between the inner and outer frames, a main set of vanes secured to said shafts, a second set of shafts pivotally disposed between the frames, an auxiliary vane secured to each of said shafts in the second set, means for rotating the first set of shafts to open or close the main vanes to control the volume of air admitted and to direct the air into the register in a tangential direction, and means for adjusting the auxiliary vanes to deflect and decrease the tangential flow of air from a maximum to a substantially longitudinal flow.

l. An air register of the character described comprising an inner frame and an'outer frame, said frames being spaced apart, a plurality of main exterior vanes, each vane being pivoted at one end between the frames and having its opposite end free to swing inwardly, said vanes in one position forming a substantially closed housing between the frames and when their free ends are swung inwardly opening said housing and admitting air tangentially to the interior of the register and imparting a spinning movement to the air, and a second set of vanes, said second named vanes being pivoted at one end between the frames and having their opposite ends adapted to swing inwardly to and away from the free ends of the main vanes, whereby spinning movement of the air as it enters the furnace may be varied from a predetermined maximum to a substantially longitudinal flow.

5. An air register of the character described comprising an inner frame and an outer frame, said frames being spaced apart, a plurality of main exterior vanes, each vane being pivoted at one end between the frames and having its opposite end free to swing inwardly, said vanes in one position forming a substantially closed housing between the frames and when their free ends are swung inwardly opening said housing and admitting air tangentially to the exterior of the register and imparting a spinning movement to the air, a second set of vanes, said second named vanes being pivoted at one end between the frames and having their opposite ends adapted to swing inwardly to and away from the free ends of the main vanes, whereby spinning movement of the air as it enters the furnace may be varied from a predetermined maximum to a substantially longitudinal flow, a pair of circumferentially movable members, manually controlled means to impart a circumferential movement to each, means for transmitting circumferential movement from one of said members to open or close the main vanes, or to swing them to any intermediate position, and means for transmitting circumferential movement of the other member to open or close the second set of vanes or to swing them to assume any intermediate position.

6.'An air register of the character described comprising an inner frame and an outer frame, said frames being spaced apart, a plurality of main exterior vanes, each vane being pivoted at one end between the frames and having its opposite end free to' swing inwardly, said vanes in one position forming a substantially closed housing between the frames and when their free ends are swung inwardly opening said housing and admitting air tangentially to the interior of the register and imparting a spinning movement to the air,

a second set of vanes,,said second named vanes being pivoted at one end between the frames and having their opposite ends adapted to swing inwardly to and away from the free ends of the main vanes, whereby spinning movement of the air as it enters the furnace may be varied from a predetermined maximum to a substantially longitudinal flow, a'pair of ring shaped members disposed adjacent the vanes, a crank arm on each of the main vanes connected to one ring, a crank arm on each of the second named vanes connected with the other ring, and means for imparting circumferential movement to each ring to fully open or close each set of vanes or to swing them to assume any intermediate position.

7. An air register of the character described comprising an iner frame and an outer frame, said frames being spaced apart, a plurality of main exterior vanes, each vane being pivoted at one end between the frames and having its opposite end free to swing inwardly, said vanes in one position forming a substantially closed housing between the frames and when their free ends are swung inwardly opening said housing and admitting air tangentially to the interior of the register and imparting a spinning movement to the air, a second set of vanes, 'said second named vanes being pivoted at one end between the frames and having their opposite ends adapted to swing inwardly to and away from the free ends of the main vanes, whereby spinning movement of the air as it enters the furnace may be varied from a predetermined maximum to a close the main vanes but leaving the second named vanes open, and other means for imparting circumferential movement to the second named ring to open or close the second named vanes.

JOSEPH T. VOORHEIS. 

